Tuscany
Trips to Tuscany
Tuscany, so much to see and not enough time, But Florence was a great spot to kick it off . Granted there are so many books about where to go and what to do from the pros. I’m just highlighting my favorite experiences in case they appeal to you.
Florence
Duomo
At the top you can see a great view of the Duomo and of the city including in the distance the view of the Santa Maria Novella Church.
Monte Follonico, Follonica B & B
My favorite part of this trip was the night in the B&B and the day in the quaint tiny hilltop town.
Each place we drove to and stayed I kept saying, “I just want to find a farm house in the country in the rolling hills” and then we found it! Follonica! It was perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. A young Italian family owned it and made us beautiful food , and everything was so authentic and peaceful, This was the place I was looking for. It was very close to a town called Montefollonico, a quaint hilltop village.
I know that next time I journey to Tuscany, I will stay in a small B&B in the hills for my trip and hike or drive daily to find more of these tiny hilltop towns. It was so peaceful and beautiful and i’m ready for more!
Pitigliano
We rented a car a drove from Florence without much of a set plan. About 2 hours and 45 minutes south of Florence we found Pitigliano. It is an this amazing Midieval town built into the volcanic rock in the Province of Grosseto. after a night there we set out on our way and ran into these cool passages and caves, Via Cava Di San Giuseppe, carved out of the rock.
Hot Springs
About a half an hour west of Pitigliano we went to visit the hot springs in Saturnia. A friend had told us about this place. It was incredible. The natural cascading rock formations gave you, your own spa made from nature. The water was warm. Locals of all ages were walking in their bath robes for their daily treatment of this natural wellness water and mud.
Sienna
From Saturnia, we headed to Siena for the afternoon. Well documented in the tourist books, I would say it was a great place to walk, and shop and eat. Piazza Del Campo (the square above) was like an outdoor park, with people scattered everywhere, picnicking and enjoying the views.
